#2. Sahara el-Beida (White Desert Park)

The Sahara el-Beida calcium rock formation emerges from the desert floor like an abstract statue left by an alien race.

Shooting brilliant white, "big rocks" deserts, "mushrooms", and "tents" have been carved by wind and sand for millions of years from prehistoric beds. In 2002, the 1500-square-kilometer site was nicknamed the Egyptian natural wonder.

#5. Valley of the Moon, Ischigualasto Provincial Park

In Quechua, Ischigualasto means "dead land" but millions of years ago, this barren land was full of life - the first house for dinosaurs and, later, some of the earliest species of mammals in the world.

Along with his impressive paleontological record, the barren Moon Valley is adorned with strange supernatural formations, including hoodoos such as "The Submarine" and "Sphynx" and Cancha de Bochas, the mysterious field of cobblestones.

This provincial park and the nearby Talampaya Nature Park were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000.

#7. Shilin National Tourist Area

The Shilin stone forest grew more than 150 square miles of Yunnan Province of China.

Resembling a large cave stalagmite or petrified tree, you'll get the best view of this 270 million-year-old limestone peak in the Greater and Lesser Stone Forests (also known as Lizijing Rock Forests) and the Naigu Stone Forest, named the UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007.

#8. Bryce Canyon National Park

One of the most spectacularly strange sights in the world, the Bryce Canyon National Park has been carved slowly from the limestone Paunsaugunt Plateau by winter ice and spring liquefaction for millions of years.

The Paiute Indians hunted and collected seasonally in the Canyon, call their spire-shaped "Legend People" rock formations - humans punished by the Coyote and turned into stone.

The best view of the Bryce formation can be seen from several sighting spots on the main road of the Park, but to experience the Canyon without the crowds, try climbing the 8-mile Fairyland Loop.

#10. Cappadocia

Located at the crossroads of the Classical world, Cappadocia appears in some of the earliest texts in the region, including the Bible.

These days, though, Cappadocia's geological past is arguably more recognizable than its socio-political problem: a fairy chimney, a 130-foot cone-shaped tower formed by the erosion of an ancient lava bed, almost covering the scene.

In the Göreme National Park, you will find the concentration of the dense peak of the tower, many of which still have the mark of human dwellings since the 4th century AD

#11. Drumheller Valley

At night, the sandstone hoodoos in Alberta's Drumheller Valley came back to protect their land from intruders, at least according to Blackfoot and Cree India traditions.

By day, humans can walk safely between rock giants. Very fragile (geologically), this 5-7 million-year-old formation lies in barren Canadian land bounded by hard rocks that slow their disintegration by wind and water forces.

You will find the most spectacular towers in a protected location, but the smaller Giants brothers can be seen along Highway 10, nicknamed Hoodoos Trail.